Fading Echoes (On Hiatus)
by Wolfwhisper of RiverClan
Summary: When a cat is forgotten in StarClan, they fade away, earning their peace. This happened to one she-cat as she was walking back to camp, unable to move and terrified. But her story does not end with her fading away. No, it's just the beginning.
1. Prologue

AN: **Hello guys! I just wanted to say that I will be updating every Friday, starting tomorrow. Now for some thanks (for Thanksgiving)…**

 **Thanks to Sophia and FuturisticVampire for being my first reviewers!**

 **Thanks to BonEpic, FuturisticVampire, and Whiteclaw69 for being my first followers!**

 **Thanks to Blackstorm of ThunderClan for welcoming me to the site and writing a really fun parody that inspired me to sign up!**

 **Thanks to the 35 random people for viewing my story!**

 **Thanks to the random 11 people who bothered looking at my profile!**

* * *

Two eyes flashed, one blue, one amber, as they looked around, weary and in shock. She couldn't remember how she got there, or even where she was. All she could remember were the whispers of her past surrounding her as the darkness won in a battle between life and death.

A few seconds earlier…

A white cat, with thin fur as light as cobwebs, had stood in this spot just a moon earlier. Now, although she couldn't figure out why, stood a shadow of what she had once been. She looked down at her paws, and for the sixth time still couldn't believe all she could see was the grass waving in the breeze that had once ruffled her fur.

"What's happening to me?" She cried out to no one in particular. She tried to run away, but found that her paws were rooted to the ground. She cried out in fear once more, when she realized there was another cat standing a short distance away.

"Help me, please! I-I can't move!" The other cat just stared at her, an expression of sorrow and pity in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I can't…" The small brown tom murmured, and the stars on his pelt dimmed ever so slightly.

"What's wrong with me?" The fading cat cried, terror making her voice crack. She couldn't think straight; she wasn't in pain, but there was a fear that was building up inside her, one that was threatening to choke her.

The starry tom hesitated, and then mewed softy "You're dying."

The she-cat almost fell over in shock, but she couldn't have moved even if she had tried. She had a look of pure horror on her face, and she almost couldn't get the words out "What do you mean I'm dying? This is StarClan, I can't die!"

The tom closed his eyes and turned away, not able to look at the fading StarClan she-cat.

"Surely you know StarClan cats fade after they are forgotten?"

The she-cat's voice shook, even as she attempted to compose herself "Yes, but…"

She never finished her sentence. She suddenly took a last, shaky gasp, and was finally able to move. Her body fell limp onto the cold earth, leaving only the waving grass where a cat had stood only a moment earlier.


	2. Land of Decisions

**AN: I know I didn't update Friday like I promised, but I went to see the play** ** _Our Town_** **, and I didn't have the energy to post the first chapter by the time I got home. I'll still update every Friday or Saturday, depending on my schedule. Oh, and this is my first fanfiction, so it may be a little rough around the edges.**

She awoke in a warm, green field, the grass caressing her face. A couple of butterflies danced over her head, but her eyes lacked any spark of emotion as she watched them fly by. Her muscles ached; she felt like just lying there, giving herself up to the warm sunlight and the nap that would surely accompany it, but there was a small cat with dense, white fur walking over. The queen heaved herself to her feet, gave her head a swift shake, and blinked a couple of times to give her eyes time to adjust to the glaring light.

The smaller cat stared at her with eyes the color of sunflowers, smiling with a friendly grin. The queen couldn't even open her mouth before the cloud-like kitten began talking.

"You're here! Finally, after all these years, you're here." The kitten stepped forward to nuzzle her companion, but the receiving cat backed away, a little appalled.

"Oh, that's right... You don't remember me." The smaller cat frowned, "Well, let me introduce myself. I'm Airpaw." The queen opened her mouth, but when she tried to reply, no sound came out.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to speak for a while. It's all part of the process."

 _What process?_ The temporarily-mute cat thought. She didn't get much time to ponder on it, though, before Airpaw began to speak again.

"Come, we need to get going before dark." Before a very perplexed feline could object, not to say she could've even if she had wanted to, Airpaw suddenly tore off, and her companion followed, although not by her own will.

 _It's almost like my paws are moving on their own..._ She thought as she followed the quick little she-cat at remarkable speeds. They ran through a large meadow, the sun dazzling ahead of them. A refreshing breeze ruffled the cats' fur. The grass felt cool under the queen's paws as she sprinted over the sloping hills.

 _It's been a while,_ a voice whispered in her head, _since you've felt the grass under your paws and the wind in your fur._

The wind rustled the leaves in the trees and the undergrowth. Her ears pricked, and if she listened hard enough, she could hear a soft murmur among the sweeping fronds, greeting her.

 _Welcome, weloccasional_ grass turned from a lush, dark green to a dusty yellow, sloping gently into an expanse of fine, rippling sand.

Airpaw slowed her pace, her paws slowly becoming dusted in sand as she walked.

"This is the only sun-drown place we have here. Take a good look at it, we won't be returning." Airpaw slowed her pace enough so the queen could catch up and walk beside her. They trudged over a few small sand dunes, their matching pure white fur becoming clouded with sand, turning a dull tan. The queen stopped a few times to sniff at the rough plant life, thir salty tang making her mouth water. They rustled sharply at her touch.

They stopped a ways from the water, and Airpaw settled into the sand, motioning for the queen to sit beside her. A couple of sandpipers hopped nearby, too preoccupied with filtering out mollusks to notice the two cats sitting by the ocean side. They looked out across the calm water in silence, watching the waves lapping at the shore at a rymthetic pace. The queen took in a long breath, not as tired as she was exhilirated from the run.

The sun began sinking, throwing shadows over the beach, making the sand a dark gray, continuous form. The queen took her eyes off the water, looking up, and was taken aback when she saw such a beautiful sight.

The top of the water reflected the rays of the setting sun, shimmering with silver. The modest waves were a shaded blue with pearl-white caps.

 _But the sun is the most spectacular,_ she thought, drawing in her breath, awed at the sight. The sun was a brilliant white, surrounded by a halo of dazzling yellow. The sky beyond that was a mixture of scarlet and orange, with a layer of clouds that separated the reds from the remaining blue.

Soon, though, it was over. The sun set, leaving behind only the echoes of it's radiant beauty.

"I love the sunset. My guide showed me this outlook when I first got here. It can be very calming to watch such a wonder of nature before you start your journey." Airpaw let out a wistful sigh, then continued, "Are you ready to go?" Airpaw got to her paws once the sun disappeared below the horizon. The sky was still lit up, the it was quickly fading into a sickly twilight hue, shaded by the dark clouds.

"Not yet. This is all very confusing." Finally finding her voice, the queen spoke her mind. What Airpaw said was true; she was much more relaxed than she had been when she first arrived here, wherever here is, But she still had no idea where she was or what she was doing there. She didn't even know who she was.

"We must leave while the sun's rays are still lighting the land." Airpaw insisted, clearly not going to accept argument. Airpaw leaped away, heading towards the crashing waves. Before the queen could argue, she found herself following Airpaw.

 _Wait, stop! I'm going to crash into the water!_ She thought rantically, realizing that they were running towards the sea, but not able to control her own paws.

 _Is this the end? Dragged out of StarClan, put in a strange place with a strange cat, just to be drowned by forces she couldn't see?_ She closed her eyes, waiting for her paws to lead her straight into the ocean and for her lungs to be filled by the salty water.

But this wouldn't happen. She ran and leapt, landed on the water, and continued running like nothing unusual had happened. She looked around in shock as she traveled across the sea, splashing the water lightly as her paws carried her unimaginable distances on top of the sea. She looked ahead to Airpaw, who looked as though she was enjoying herself, without even a thought at the ridiculousness and wonder of it all.

The water gently splashed the queen as she ran, cleaning the irritating sand from her paws. As the water seemed to stretch endlessly at all sides, the queen began to wonder where they were heading. As soon as the thought entered her head, a rocky form came into view at the horizon.

A mountainous island came into view. It was forboding; tall peaks rose through the clouds, and there was a continuous, steep cliff that circled the island, with no apparent gap to use to enter the island.

Airpaw suddeny turned, and the queen followed suit. They ran around a distance of the island, then Airpaw sharply turned and ran in a beeline towards a path that seemed to have been worn down by countless generations of those who had come before.

Airpaw quickly leapt from the ocean, splashing some water onto the queen. Airpaw promptly shook her fur and waited for her companion to join her. The queen blinked the water from her eyes, and then followed Airpaw. The queen also shook her fur, leaving the dusty rocks speckled with droplets.

They ran up the path together, leaving the sea behind, their claws scraping on the smooth stone. The queen could feel her paws slip into the paw prints of those before her, but when she glance down there was only the unceasing rock, only broken by the occasional undergrowth.

Airpaw stopped by one of the cliffs, and began leaping up using the narrow ledges. The queen felt her heart skip a beat as Airpaw slipped, spraying pebbles onto the ground far below, but she quickly righted herself. After a few moments, Airpaw continued her journey upward. The queen paled under her fur as she realized she would have to follow. She tentatively stepped onto the first ledge, but the power that was still controlling her paws made her quickly leap up the cliff side, not waiting for her to get over her fear.

They stopped at a small, rocky clearing a few fox-legths from the top of the cliff. Airpaw let out a small huff, gave her chest a quick lick, then casually commented, "I ran more today than I have my entire stay here!" She walked over to the nearest bush, taking a mouthful of the leaves. She dropped them onto the ground, and proceeded to scrounge up all the plants she could find.

"We'll need to camp here for the night." Airpaw grunted as she pulled up a plant that was growing in a rock crevice.

The queen was sitting on the ground, looking towards the rising moon, which was barely visible among the mountain peaks. She murmured quietly, just loud enough for Airpaw to hear, "Where are we?"

Airpaw looked over in surprise, then answered simply, "Why, we're at the Land of Decisions."

 **QOTW(Question of the Week): Who do you think Airpaw is in relation to our unnamed protagonist? Do you think Airpaw's her guide, her apprentice (from when she was alive), part of her family, etc.**


	3. The First Memory

**AN: I'm not trying to complain, but this story has 182 views (YAY!) but only 5 reviews (Wha…?) Reviews, follows, and favorites are in high demand! Thank you to those who reviewed!**

 **Oh, and I published the allegiances and prologue for my second fanfiction,** ** _A Second Chance at Life_** **, so if you want to read an AU story where Snowkit survived the hawk attack, check it out!**

* * *

 _She was blind._

Her vision was limited by a protective veil of darkness, and her eyelids felt too heavy to blink open her large, beautiful eyes. But even without her sight, she could sense warmness, and the feeling of love was so thick it was nearly palpable.

She wriggled closer to the nearest source of warmth.

 _My mother?_ She thought, breathing in her mother's sweet, milky scent. She could feel another source of warmth beside her, much smaller than her mother. _My sibling?_

She let out a small squeak of contentment as she snuggled into her mother's fur, ready for a nap. She could vaguely hear the hoarse whisper of her mother's loving voice.

"It's time for me to name them…"

The young kit pricked her tiny, folded ears.

"This one," She felt her mother nudge her softly with her muzzle, and she let out a small squeak of surprise, "will be named Jasmine."

Her mother pulled back her muzzle, and nudged the warm body beside Jasmine, "And this one will be named Wind."

Jasmine heard her mother give a small sigh, and murmur "Yes… Those will be fine names for my kits."

Jasmine exhaled deeply, and curled up, enveloping herself in her mother's warm fur. She felt a calm coming over her, and she slipped into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

"Jasmine…" The white queen woke up murmuring as she rolled over onto her other side.

"Jasmine… My name…" She blinked in surprise, and suddenly she felt wide awake. She practically leapt to her paws.

"My name is Jasmine!" She exclaimed, excited at this small piece of information.

"What did you say?" Airpaw shifted in her half-asleep state, and then got to her paws and stretched.

"My name is Jasmine! I have a mom and a sibling! Where are they?" Jasmine asked quickly, excited at these little pieces of information amidst her amnesia.

Airpaw smiled widely, and said, "You've had your first memory! I think it's time to see the Keeper."

"What do you mean my first memory? Will I have more?" Jasmine asked, still ecstatic over learning about her past. But this raised a lot of questions. Where were her mom and her sibling Wind? Will she ever see them again? Will she have more memories, and will they explain why she was there, at the Land of Decisions? Who is the Keeper? Jasmine's excitement died down a little as these questions raced through her mind, but it wasn't quelled completely.

 _I have a family. I'm not alone._

* * *

"We need to go see the Keeper." Airpaw said, and then continued, "We will also need to make you a permanent den in the Cave of Echoes."

"Who's the Keeper? And what is the Cave of Echoes?" Jasmine called after Airpaw as she began walking up the path.

"The Keeper is the one who keeps this place in order. It's a very important job, though I imagine it gets lonely." Airpaw beckoned for Jasmine to follow with her stubby tail. They padded up the winding ledge around the mountain. Jasmine thought for a moment that it might be easier to go over the mountain, but a quick glance at the towering peaks, and she decided it would be easier to continue going around.

 _How tall is this mountain? Didn't we already climb a cliff yesterday?_

Luckily, they didn't travel far before they found what Airpaw was looking for. Jasmine, who had expected the Keeper to live in some splendid sky den, was slightly disappointed at the modest tunnel in the side of the mountain. It was quite small, just big enough for a cat slightly larger than Jasmine to squeeze through.

"Don't judge a tabby by its stripes. There's a lot more going on inside than outside." Airpaw said, seeming to sense Jasmine's disappointment, "Once I go in, you must follow me. Don't hesitate." With that, Airpaw disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel. Taking Airpaw's words to heart, Jasmine quickly followed.

It was incredibly dark. A few paw steps into the tunnel and all sunlight had disintegrated into the tangible darkness. Jasmine followed Airpaw, using her whiskers to navigate the winding path. Their journey felt familiar, like she had done this many times before. A bright light appeared far ahead, the light at the end of the tunnel. It came closer and closer as they traveled.

They reached the light, and Jasmine rubbed her eyes with her paw, not sure if what she was seeing was true. There was a magnificent cavern. It was enormous; Jasmine could barely see the far wall from where she stood. A continuous ledge circled the inside, and there were many beautiful, though ancient, rock bridges that lingered midair; they led to many small caves. One bridge stood out; it was the highest, as well as the largest. One end was covered in ivy, but the other seemed to have a wispy layer of gossamer. Far below the bridge system was a gorgeous pool, with dark blue waters similar to the ocean they had crossed just the day before. The waters seemed to glow with an eerie light.

Airpaw walked onto one of the bridges, one that led to another tunnel at the far end of the cavern. Jasmine didn't ask questions as she followed, forcing herself to keep her gaze fixed one Airpaw and not on the cold waters that lurked so far below. Many paths branched off from the one they were traveling, but Airpaw kept her sight on the tunnel ahead. Jasmine accidentally kicked up some gravel; she listened for a splash, but didn't hear one until many seconds later, making her feel queasy.

They reached the end of the bridge, and Airpaw waited for Jasmine to join her by the mouth of the tunnel, and then meowed, "Welcome to the Cave of Echoes! This is where cats come to make one of the most important decisions of their lives, as well as where the Keeper of the Stars keeps her den."

"It's very beautiful." Jasmine said, and then turned to face the opposite end of the cavern. She raised her voice, yowling "Echo!"

Airpaw stifled a purr of amusement as she inquired, "What are you doing?"

Jasmine pricked her ears, and then explained, "Listening for an echo. There isn't one." Jasmine sniffed, wondering why there wasn't an echo in the Cave of Echoes.

This time Airpaw couldn't suppress a purr of amusement, "The Cave of Echoes didn't get its name from echoes of sound. It got its name from its echoes on Earth. You see, StarClan used to speak through the Moonstone, which is just an echo of this cavern. At present, they speak through the Moonpool, which is an echo of _our_ pool. Now, we need to go meet the Keeper. She'll give you the answers to the rest of your questions." Airpaw padded down the tunnel. This tunnel was much wider than the last one they traveled, allowing Jasmine to walk beside Airpaw.

The walls seemed to get more complex as they walked on; the plain grey walls began mingling with streaks of silver and copper. Jasmine jumped when she heard a noise, and suddenly a mouse ran past her paws to hide behind a large stone to her right.

 _Don't let this place scare you. You're already dead; you can't die again, hopefully._ Jasmine told herself, not quite able to vanquish her fears as she walked the dark path.

The tunnel sloped downward, and Jasmine had to step cautiously to avoid scraping her paws. The tunnel evened out, then produced a couple of sharp turns. Jasmine hissed quietly as she accidentally slammed her shoulder into a wall. It was hard to navigate due to the walls all having the same variegated coloration.

 _Would it be so hard for the Keeper to create some easier paths around here?_

The remaining greys and coppers morphed into silver, and a large cave met the traveling cats. Silver stalagmites surrounded the walls,

In the middle of it all, a large black she-cat, her fur speckled white, faced down an equally large snake. The queen hissed viciously; the snake responded by coiling up, looking ready to strike and sink its fangs into her flesh.

* * *

 **QOTW: Any theories on the black queen and the snake?**


End file.
